Is the 2001 Lincoln Town Car a bad year?
161 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Town Car years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2001 Lincoln Town Car are in line with other Town Car years. Air bags stands out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2001 Town Car owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 89,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 54 (34%) | 58k–111k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Speed control | 26 (16%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 16 (10%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Brakes | 13 (8%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Engine | 13 (8%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Steering | 10 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Suspension | 10 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Electrical system | 9 (6%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Seats | 7 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Body structure | 6 (4%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Tires | 5 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 5 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 89,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 161 complaints: 21 mention a crash · 4 mention a fire · 16 report an injury · 1 says the car was towed.
No complaints in the last 12 months; the newest was filed in Oct 2022.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2001 Lincoln Town Car: 6
These aftermarket replacement steering shafts are sold for use in 1995-2002 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car vehicles. These steering shafts may separate during operation if the integral fastener is loose or missing and if the interfacing vehicle shaft is compressed in length. If the shafts separate during vehicle operation, a loss of steering control would result, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle may not fully latch. In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant.
Vehicle description: certain limousines stretched over 60 inches fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 109, "New pneumatic tires," And no. 110, "Tire selection and rims." The vehicle weight could exceed the maximum load rating for the tire, increasing the risk of premature tire wear or blowout.
Vehicle description: minivans and passenger vehicles. A restraint control module (RCM) or a side or front crash sensor may have been assembled with one or more of the screws that mount the circuit board in the housing missing. In some cases, less than the intended level of protection in the event of a crash.
Certain passenger vehicles, limousines, and Mini vans were built with a newly designed restraint control module (RCM). In some cases, the RCM does not recognize certain system faults that could result in an air bag or seat belt pre-tensioner unexpectedly activating during the self-test sequence at vehicle start-up. This condition could result in personal injury.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Lincoln: 3
Repair instructions Lincoln sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2001 Lincoln Town Car. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Lincoln: restraint control module replacement
NHTSA defect investigations: 6
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
Front seat belt buckle assembly
Front seat belt buckle assembly
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
Neighbouring years
2000 Town Car: 107 complaints, keep it · 2002 Town Car: 65 complaints, keep it.
Every Lincoln Town Car year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · All Town Car years side by side
Other Lincoln models: Lincoln Aviator · Lincoln Continental · Lincoln Corsair · Lincoln LS · Lincoln MKC · Lincoln MKS · Lincoln MKT · Lincoln MKX · Lincoln MKZ · Lincoln MKZ Hybrid · Lincoln Nautilus · Lincoln Navigator · Lincoln Zephyr. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2001 Lincoln Town Car a bad year?
161 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Town Car years. At 89,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Lincoln Town Car?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: air bags (54), speed control (26), visibility and wipers (16), brakes (13), engine (13).
How many recalls does the 2001 Lincoln Town Car have?
6 recall campaigns list this model year: Steering (NHTSA 15E082000), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 01V-258), Seat belts (NHTSA 01V227001), Tires (NHTSA 00V-356) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.